This new technology will let you download 23 movies in one second

pureLiFi A new wireless-internet technology called Li-Fi is so fast it'll let you download "23 DVDs in one second," said Suat Topsu, founder of French Li-Fi startup Oledcomm, according to AFP.

Li-Fi technology, short for Light Fidelity, uses light from LED bulbs to transmit internet data instead of the radio waves our Wi-Fi routers currently broadcast.

The LED lightbulbs flicker extremely quickly to emit a frequency of light that can transmit data at incredible speeds —up to 200 gigabits a second, which is insanely fast.

"Li-Fi allows speeds that are 100 times faster than Wi-Fi," Topsu told AFP.

Oledcomm demonstrated its Li-Fi technology at MWC by streaming a video on a smartphone placed under a lamp fitted with an LED lightbulb. The smartphone was reportedly not connected to Wi-Fi routers or anything else that could provide an internet connection. It was wirelessly connected to a lightbulb, which is a pretty weird thing to type or say out loud.

Other benefits

Li-Fi is more secure than Wi-Fi because light can't go through walls like Wi-Fi radio signals can. That means only the people in the same room as the Li-Fi bulb can connect to your internet connection.

Some are also seeing Li-Fi as a solution in places where Wi-Fi signals create interference with equipment. It would be great in hospitals, for example, as Li-Fi wouldn't interfere with wireless medical equipment like Wi-Fi signals can.

Obstacles

Like every good thing, there's a catch.

For one, devices need a direct, uninterrupted field of view with the Li-Fi bulb. You can break the signal by merely placing a hand between your device and the Li-Fi bulb. Another Li-Fi startup called Velmenni demonstrated this:

The video stops playing when the demonstrator raises his hand between the Li-Fi bulb and the smartphone.

That leaves a lot of room for internet-service interruptions. If the bulb is directly above you, you'd need to make sure your head isn't in the way of the Li-Fi signal. This guy's got it!

Mmm, Li-Fi.

Also, it's not entirely clear whether Li-Fi would work with the lights off. But if Li-Fi can deliver on those internet speeds, I'll gladly adapt my internet-using behavior.

When will we see the light?

Analyst Frederic Sarrat of PwC said "[Li-Fi] is still a laboratory technology," according to AFP.

Testing began in 2015 in French museums and shopping malls, and Belgium, India, and Estonia are among the first few countries testing Li-Fi, as well.

Li-Fi technology also needs special components to register the Li-Fi signal, much like the Wi-Fi radio in our wireless devices. At the moment, few devices have these components built in.

Oledcomm actually sells Li-Fi kits that come with lamps, bulbs, an Android tablet that supports Li-Fi, and a Li-Fi adapter for smartphones. Price? The cheapest kit is 399 euros, which is the equivalent of $440.

So it might be a few years till we see Li-Fi widely adopted. For now, though, you should check out Eero, which solves the most common problems we have with Wi-Fi routers.